Unconditional Receiving!!!

By Chris Assaad

What if you already had everything you ever wanted and just didn’t realize it? What if every need or desire that was in your best interest was ready to be met and fulfilled abundantly and the only thing standing in the way was you? What if you had a million dollars sitting in your bank account but you didn’t know it, so you lived a life of poverty?

Sounds crazy, right? A shame? A waste even! Yes, all of these things apply but the fact is that many of us live like this, failing to make the most of what we do have and focusing on what we don’t have.

Since I was a child, my parents have always given me an abundance of love and have provided for me in every way conceivable. As a kid, if I wanted something, I got it. You might even say I was spoiled rotten I grew up having access to every opportunity and advantage I can think of. I went to a great school and my family supported me throughout university and law school, ensuring that I had access to every opportunity, all the while living comfortably. Even now, as I forge ahead with the choice to follow my heart and passion for music, leaving behind a promising legal career, my family has continued to give me nothing but their utmost love and support.

It doesn’t get much better than that, right? Right. I’ve been so blessed in my life and I am truly thankful for everything I’ve been given. But somehow, amidst all of this abundance and all these blessings, my ego has still found a way to keep me from being at peace. The voice in my head will often chime in: “You don’t deserve it,” “Why do you get to have it so easy while others struggle?” ”It’s too good to be true.” The truth is that it’s only too good to be true if I say so.

This is a perfect example of how clever and sneaky the ego can be. It thrives on keeping us in search of something that’s missing, on always feeling a sense of unease, keeping us in a perpetual state of searching but never finding, wanting but never being satisfied. In my case, in the absence of lack outside of myself, my ego found it elsewhere by questioning my own worth and worthiness of all the good things in my life.

What I am learning is the importance of ALLOWING the goodness to flow into my life. I am learning to graciously ACCEPT all the blessings and do everything I can to put any advantage I’ve been given to good use. Often times, our tendency is to overlook what we have and focus on what is missing or worse still, find some reason why we can’t fully enjoy what we already have. This is one of the more subtle forms of self-sabotage because in this state, we are not open to truly receiving what the Uni-verse wants to provide for us.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve been taught that we’re only worthy of love if we do X, Y, or Z. We only deserve to be successful or achieve our goals if we struggle or suffer in this way or that way. What if it doesn’t have to be that hard? What if there are forces at work that are desperately trying to help us have it all and the only thing stopping them is us?!

I believe that those forces do exist. I believe that our dreams and our calling are an invitation to love ourselves enough to allow the goodness in, to take action on behalf of our highest vision and to take a leap of faith. Once we do, the goodness will flow freely, our actions will be supported as we take steps towards our dream life and when we leap, the net will appear.

What I’m talking about is UNCONDITIONAL RECEIVING. Being willing to let the good stuff happen, believing that we deserve it and that it can happen to “little old me” for no other reason than the fact that we are who we are. Each and every one of us deserves the very best that life has to offer and the first step is to remove any condition we have placed upon our worthiness to receive it.

It begins with an attitude of gratitude and the ongoing acknowledgement of everything that we have to be grateful for. The next step is being open to what is coming our way, trusting that the Uni-verse has our back and loving ourselves enough to say YES to all of it.

Let the love in. Let the blessings in. Let the goodness in. You deserve it.

Love And Perfect Imperfection!!!

By Mastin Kipp

Many times we spend so much time looking for the “perfect” person, that we miss the fact that our goal should be to love and imperfect person as perfectly as we can.

I think that’s what kept me out of a relationship for such a long time. I’ve been dating an amazing woman since about July, but before that my last girlfriend was about 7 years prior.

During those seven years, I learned a lot about myself and most of my time was spent trying to break down the walls that I had built up around my heart after my previous breakup. I was so afraid to let my heart Love again, for fear it would be broken or that I would be abandoned, that any reason I could think of to leave or not be with someone would be enough to not go deeper with them. It’s funny, because at my core, all I really wanted was to Love and Be Loved. But a simple desire like that, at least for me, required so much letting go, trusting and work on myself.

Loving yourself… Loving someone else SEEMS like such a simple concept. It feels like there should be some kind of arrival place to this great awareness where we “finally” get it. But I don’t think that’s realistic. I think the road of Love is paved with all kinds of potholes, speed bumps, twists, turns, storms and even blind spots. I think life is a lot messier than we would want it to be. And I think that Loving and Being Loved is accepting the mess that life is, that we are, that those that you Love are. Being human is a messy thing. All of us, even the most prestigious and accomplished, are messy and imperfect. We have character flaws, triggers and all kinds of blocks to Love. We mean well and yet we still mess up. We don’t always say what we mean or mean what we say.

The quest for human perfection is an impossible quest. There, I said it. Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) in the most recent Tron movie said it best, “Perfection is unknowable”. No matter how hard we try to get it perfect, we will always have a little mess in the perfection. So knowing this, how can we first Love our imperfect selves with as close to a perfect amount of Love as possible? And then, from that place, how can we then Love someone else, who is also imperfect, with as close to perfect Love as we can?

What we see on magazines, movies and the like isn't a real reflection of the human beings who occupy those spaces. I see all kinds of famous actors and actresses every week who grace the covers of these great publications and in person, they look just like you and I do. Even they wish like they could look like they do on the cover – how ironic is that?

So – are you willing to get messy? Are you willing to Love an imperfect person as perfectly as you can, starting with you? Can you give up the struggle of trying to make yourself perfect and see the beautiful perfection that you already are as an imperfect and messy human being?

Love and perfect imperfection.

New Video: VV Brown Feat. Chiddy Bang -"Children (Keep On Singing)"

British songstress VV Brown has just premiered her music video for her latest single titled "Children (Keep On Singing)" featuring Chiddy of Chiddy Bang, which is lifted off of her forthcoming sophomore album titled "Lollipops & Politics" due out on February 7th. The video was shot in Los Angeles, which sees the songstress channeling her inner-kid by strolling the sun drenched streets, riding her bike and dancing in the streets and overall just having fun.

Live Video: Goapele Performs "Milk & Honey"

California -based songstress Goapele held her album release party at B.B. King Blues Club and Gril in New York City last week and the people over at Concreteloop caught some footage of the songstress sanging one of my favorite tracks lifted from her new album "Break of Dawn", titled "Milk & Honey." Watch it below and if you don't have her new album "Break Of Dawn", i recommend you get yourself a copy, it`s totally worth the money.

New Music: Tyrese - "Nothing On You"

Actor/R&B singer-songwriter Tyrese will dropping his fifth forthcoming studio album "Open Invitation" tomorrow, via his label Voltron Recordz & EMI. A new track has off the album has leaked, titled "Nothing On You", it`s a smooth mid-tempo track from the crooner and definitely sounds like a winner for Adult R&B Radio if he releases it as a single.

New Music: Dawn Richard – 'SMFU (Save Me From U)'

Former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard has just released a new track titled "SMFU (Save Me From U)", which is taken from her forthcoming concept album titled"GoldenHeart",which is set to be the first in a trilogy of albums. "SMFU (Save Me From U)" was penned & produced by Druski who is a new producer in the industry who added his magic to the beautiful mid-tempo track,that really showcases off Dawn's phenomenal pipes.

Album Review : Beyonce - "4"

By Hassan Mazhar
2011 was destined to be the year that all the pop heavy weights fought it out for the number one singles and the number one albums. 2010 ended with Rihanna and Katy Perry ruling the charts with the success of their albums but soon after Britney Spears and Lady GaGa entered the running and they both broke records. Jennifer Lopez also returned and was the biggest comeback of the year! With all the females in music out there was only one missing- Beyonce.

Beyonce's last 3 albums have topped the charts and had huge success with sold out concerts worldwide and each re release generating more number one hits. With each album Beyonce is securing her spot as one of the industry's top female artists. For her fourth offering, 4, Beyonce said she was inspired by different factors and new singers. She said that her live vocals were different to her studio sound and she wanted her fans to enjoy the live sound but from a studio. She also wanted to use more live instruments. Does it pay off? Let’s examine 4 track by track:

1 + 1

We first heard this on the American Idol finale and it was released to iTunes straight after. It’s a typical song written by The Dream but Beyonce makes the ballad by adding soul and emotion. It is the type of song you would hear at a wedding. There is great passion and emotion in Beyonce’s voice. However the lyrics are nothing special. The guitar solo at the end is just the perfect ending to the song- very reminiscent of Prince. 3.5/5

I Care

It sounds like something her sister Solange would sing/write- we will soon know if she did. The backing track is very good. Beyonce sings in keys she hasn’t sang before especially during the runs. Beyonce sings about a lover that has left her but she still has feelings for him, it’s a vulnerable side to her. 3.5/5

I Miss You

This is my personal favourite track from the album. The vocal arrangements appear haunting at first. Beyonce again shows her vulnerable side on this track. The simple lyrics match the simplicity of the songs meaning. It is a better version of “Broken Hearted Girl”. However at 2minutes 59 the song is too short- it should be longer. 4/5

Best Thing I Never Had

The song is “Irreplaceable” meets Rihanna’s “Take A Bow” add to that Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” and you have a hit. Previously Beyonce sang about missing a man while now she is over him and no one can sing break up like Beyonce. This is a better female empowerment song than “Run The World” and women will be listening to this when they have a broken heart for years to come. With the right video this song will be the first hit from this era for Beyonce. 4/5

Party (feat Andre 3000)

When you hear Kanye talking rubbish at the start it does throw you off but Beyonce saves the song. This is a summer anthem. This should have been the first single. This is straight up urban music and it just screams “SINGLE”. The Kanye produced track is one of the standout tracks and they should work together more. It is a very old school feel track and is simple Beyonce at her best. 4.5/5

Rather Die Young

This is my least favourite song from the album. It is definitely just an album track. However saying that the chorus is very catchy as we hear Beyonce go powerful exclaiming that she would “...rather not live at all”. The cut does get better around the 1 minute 45 mark but it still isn’t the best cut. The song does have a Motown feel to it and again is something similar to what Solange would sing. 3/5

Start Over

“Too much of anything can make you sick...” So what about when you have had too much love? Beyonce thinks you should start over. It is vocal bliss for anyone- she sounds so good and full of emotion. Her vocals soar over the instrumentals. Come to the bridge and we hear the vulnerable side to Beyonce which has been evident all the way through 4. 4/5

Love On Top

This song will grow on you. On first listen you will like it but the more you listen the better it gets. I can imagine Beyonce in a church singing this with a choir; it’s not a gospel song though. Beyonce talks about being put first and after hearing this Beyonce is definitely worthy of being put first. The song sounds like an old MJ cut but it works. She nails all of the key changes; the song is pretty much perfect. 4.5/5

Countdown

I love how the song starts; it has a bit of an Island feel with the drums and horrns- something we would expect from Rihanna. The song is another love song however it does seem a bit noisy. The pre chorus and bridge are good but the rest of the song does not seem to fit in. It is pretty messy as a whole. However possibly it’s a grower. 3/5

End Of Time

This should have been the first single, the drums and the tribal feel grab your attention from the first second. The track is very edgy and not like anything that is in the charts at the moment. It’s loud, well produced and it makes you want to get up and shake your booty! The use of the drum beats really grabs your interest and it’s everything the first single needed to be. 4.5/5

I Was Here

This was described as a “career defining” track but it does not live up to the hype. It is a typical Ryan Tedder track. It is very radio friendly and very safe. Beyonce sounds great vocally but lyrically there is something missing. You can hear the emotion in her voice and it gets better towards the end. However all in all, for me it is a bit of a snooze fest. 2.5/5

Run The World (Girls)

Beyonce’s first singles normally get the number 1 spot worldwide but this time something went wrong. Run The World is NOTHING like the rest of 4 so one asks why did she record it? Why is it on 4? And why was it released as the first single?! Who knows! The song has many flaws, the main one is the beat that Diplo copy and pasted from somewhere- why did he not mix it up and make it more unique? If you though “Countdown” was noisy, compared to “Run The World” it’s like Angels singing. However the video saves the song, a bit, and in the live performances Beyonce SLAYED. The song is not very radio friendly with Beyonce dropping the F and the N bomb but it would sound good in a club. 2/5

Lay Up Under Me

This starts of very soft and it seems old school, and it is. The verses don’t really do much for me but the chorus’s are the best part. Beyonce does lack emotion in places on this track and the lyrics are nothing great. She is basically singing about having sex with Jay-Z and giving him reasons to stay in rather than go out. It does seem a tad bit repetitive but maybe it will grow on me. 2.5/5

Schoolin’ Life

The second deluxe track also has a very old school vibe to it. It talks us through Beyonce’s life. In a similar way to “1 + 1” it has a vibe to it similar to Prince. It is basically a feel good song about how you should enjoy life. You can’t tell that The Dream wrote it or produced it. Her vocals are on point and you can emotion in her voice. If Beyonce was my teacher, class would be in session hourly. 3.5/5

Dance For You

This is probably the best deluxe track out of the three. Beyonce oozes sex from the first word and the song will be used to get people in the mood for a long time. It is a slow jam and Beyonce sounds so sultry as she sings about dancing for her lover. The production is subtle and it doesn’t over power her vocals and it is cleverly done. It is easily the best out of the three deluxe tracks. 4/5

Beyonce fans who like her pop music will not like this album as much as I Am... Sasha Fierce because this album is straight up R&B. This is the kind of music Beyonce needs to be making because she will be singing music like this when she is 40+ not music like “Diva”. From listening to 4 it is clear that this album is a cross over from pop to R&B, thankfully Beyonce did not jump on the dance music trend and stuck to what she knows best. Beyonce has shown vocal growth on this album, this is clear listening to I Miss You, I Care, Love On Top. I am glad that Beyonce is back with her R&B roots and as a whole, she sounds the best she has ever on this album. She needed a bit more direction though because Run The World doesn’t fit in at all.

Releasing Run The World as the first single was not fair- it does not showcase any of the growth Bey has experienced and it does not fit in on the album at all. If she wanted to release it in terms of female empowerment then it would have been fine as a lead single from a re release but not on the first go.

Overall: 3.8/5

New Music : Fantasia -"Now I'm Free"

A new track has surfaced from Grammy-award winning songstress Fantasia Barrino, titled "Now I’m Free",which is written and produced by her brother Ricco Barrino. The song is mid-tempo track that speaks about a woman taking back her independence and being free from all the drama that goes along with relationships. Say what you want about her personal life but Fantasia makes quality music and I appreciate it.

New Music: Frank Ocean – "Back"

A new track from up-and-coming singer-songwriter Frank Ocean has leaked, titled "Back." The sweet, smooth mid-tempo track was produced by Dapo Torimiro, though it's not clear if this is off of an Ocean project or a possible song for another artist, the song is a winner in my book. “Laying under the covers that I stole, from your side of bed cause I got cold. You rolled over and whispered rob-robbery, so you been sleeping with a thief in your bed, stole your heart and your pillows. Whatever you do just don't go,baby the worse jail is waking up alone in a world where your not mine. In a room painted off white, running out in the daylight, tryna get back to you. When I'm looking in your eyes, I see my real life, so I never sleep with my back to you.."- Ocean sings to his leading lady.

Music Legend: Gladys Knight

By any measure, Gladys Knight is one of the greatest Soul singers of all time. Her expressive, powerful voice became the model for two generations of singers from Jennifer Holliday to Alicia Keys, and her work with the Pips stands tall among the best Soul music of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Born and raised in Georgia, Knight showed her impressive vocal talent early, winning on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour as a child. As a pre-teen in the 50s, she formed a singing group with brother Bubba and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten, a group that would later be called Gladys Knight and the Pips.

The group performed together around Georgia for several years and began recording in the early 60s. They scored a couple R&B hits on small labels, including "Every Beat of My Heart" and "Letter Full of Tears." But it was their 1965 signing by Motown that gave them their first major national exposure. Considered the beautiful Southern darling by other artists at Motown, Knight was not always given the attention of Motown brass, and her career at the label was clearly one of a "secondary" artist, though she did record a number of memorable songs. Working with producer Norman Whitfield, Knight was generally given rawer, gutsier material than most of her Motown labelmates, and she scored big R&B hits with the original, funky version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (later remade into a smash by Marvin Gaye), as well as the dance cuts "Friendship Train" and "Nitty Gritty." However, when given the chance, Knight also proved herself a great balladeer, such as on "If I Were Your Woman" and her last Motown hit, "Neither One of Us."

In 1973, Gladys Knight and the Pips moved to Buddah Records, where, working with writer Jim Weatherly, they took on a more sophisticated sound that blended the Pips smooth harmonies with Knight's gritty lead vocals. The results were memorable, and the group became perhaps the top Soul group of the mid-70s, boasting a string of number one hits including "I've Got To Use My Imagination," "I Feel A Song," "Best Thing That Every Happened" and their biggest song, "Midnight Train To Georgia." Knight also ventured into acting around this time, landing a lead role in the movie Pipe Dreams.

The hits slowed down for the group as the 70s came to a close, and they moved to Columbia, where, recording with hotter young producers such as Leon Sylvers, they rose again to the top of the Soul charts with "Landlord," "You're Number One (In My Book")" and the smash dance hit "Save The Overtime." They later signed with MCA, where they scored in 1987 with their last major crossover hit, "Love Overboard."

In 1989, after over three decades together, Gladys and the Pips decided to go their separate ways. The Pips recorded one album without Gladys before retiring. Knight, on the other hand, moved smoothly into a solo career, scoring an immediate hit with "Men." She continued to record on MCA through the 90s with moderate success and appeared in the national touring company of Smokey Joe's Cafe. In 1999, she recorded her first Gospel album, the critically acclaimed Many Different Roads, and in 2001 released At Last, an album of standards that earned a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B album.

In 2004, Knight released a single, "Feelin Good" on Miami-based Pyramid Records in Summer of 2004. It was part of the Cuban/US music compilation, Bridge to Havana. She followed it in 2005 with One Voice, a Gospel album recorded with the Saints Unified choir. In early 2006 she recorded Before Me, an album of standards, on Verve Records. The disc was originally slated for a Spring 2006 release, but was delayed until October to correspond to a PBS Special starring Knight.

While Knight has not been as much in the public eye in recent years, her influence over so many artists continues to be strong, forty years after America first saw her immense talent.

Via SoulTrack

New Video: Mara Hruby - "Character"

California-based songstress Mara Hruby has just recently premiered her music video for her cover of Van Hunt's classic "Character", taken from her debut EP titled "From Her Eyes". The video was directed by Melinda James, displaying a day in Mara Hruby's shoes to get a closer look at what makes her happy; creativity and music. "It's important to know who you are as a person, all around, so you can take your creativity beyond the ordinary. This video will show a side of me that not a lot of people have seen. It's all about doing what you love and finding what makes you happy."

New Music: Keke Palmer - "Break Up Season"

Actress/singer Keke Palmer has just released a brand new song for her fans titled "Break Up Season". "How many of my followers have experienced a bad break up? Have you had someone break up with you and you were completely SHOCKED? Then all of y’all will be able to relate to #BreakUpSeason. "Break Up Season"is a sweet urban-pop mid-tempo track, which showcases her amazing vocal range . I can't help but get young Brandy vibes from her. I can't wait for her forthcoming album due out sometime next year.

New Music: Trey Songz -"Find A Place"

R&B singer-songwriter Trey Songz has been busy in the studio recording his fifth studio album titled "Chapter 5",which is due out next year. But before that, he`ll be releasing two new mixtapes titled “Anticipation II” and “#Lemmeholdatbeat 2” both due out next week on November 1st. Here is the latest track titled "Find A Place" from Anticipation II, a smooth, sexy ballad . This will most definitely put you in that kinda mood, “All I want is to please, to kiss, to find a place inside, your love, I’ll do whatever I need to find a place inside your love.”

New Music: Miranda Lambert- "Dear Diamond"

Country songstress Miranda Lambert has just premiered a new track titled "Dear Diamond", taken from her highly anticipated fourth studio album "Four the Record", which is due out on November 1. "Dear Diamond" is a poetic song about marrying a man you don’t love: “Dear diamond, pretty and new / Perfectly flawless, too good to be true / Dear diamond, you shine like the sun / And wrap around my finger just like he does,”“You cost more than he wanted to lose / And with this ring I said I do / Promise to never do what I’ve done / I’ve lied to someone / Dear diamond.”

New Video: Monica - "Until It's Gone"

R&B songstress Monica has just premiered her music video for her official second single"Until It's Gone",taken from her forthcoming seventh album "New Life" which is due out on December 13th. "Until It's Gone" was It was written and produced by Missy Elliott with additional penning from Jazmine Sullivan and Cainon Lamb. The video was shot by director Diane Martel and filmed in the Harlem neighborhood in the New York City. Monica along with actors Malinda Williams and Brian White tell the story of a rocky relationship put to the test once tragedy hits them. Malinda Williams and Brian White as a couple whose lives change when she discovers he’s been cheating. She confronts him about it while he is driving. He takes his attention off the road, they get into a horrific accident that leaves Williams fighting for her life. Monica plays her best friend who tried to warn her about White’s behavior.

New Video: Mary J. Blige -"25/8"

Grammy-award winning songstress Mary J. Blige has premiered her music video for her single "25/8", the lead single taken from her forthcoming tenth studio album "My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act I)" due out on November 21st. The video was directed by Diane Martel (Ciara’s "Ride", Nicki Minaj’s "Right Thru Me") . The video is a strong visual offering from Blige, which sees her singing in the middle of the road while the world around her is in fast-forward. Afterwards, she proceeds to a military-style dance routine.

New Video: Jill Scott Feat. Paul Wall - "So Gone"

Grammy winning songstress Jill Scott has just premiered her music video for her third single titled "So Gone" featuring rapper Paul Wall, taken from her latest album "The Light of the Sun" which peaked at number one on Billboard 200. The visual offers a great story that is interwoven between the lyrics and matches the passion that Scott emotes throughout the song. The song and the video is about a woman who knows better than to mess around with a guy but despite knowing this does anyway, because he puts it on her so good. “It’s a song about a girl who is being celibate because she’s respecting herself and trying to do something completely different. In the meantime, she’s still a boss and she could use a little [sex],”“She gets a phone call from her girlfriend who says, ‘Why don’t you call Diamond Chip Dick?’ Diamond Chip Dick is a service where they come and please you and take the trash out when they leave. But it’s too good. She’s gotten ‘dickmotized.’ Paul Wall plays the gentleman from the Diamond Chip Dick company. He basically says what he does that’s got her sprung.” -Jill Scott

I love the music video and the lesson of the song which many people can relate to.

Fashion Bish: Raquel Zimmermann For Vogue Paris

Brazilian model Raquel Zimmermann stars in this editorial in the November issue of Vogue Paris. Photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin with styling by editor in chief Emmanuelle Alt, Raquel serves serious face in the colorful designs of Atelier Versace, Elie Saab and Chanel Haute Couture.

Take Life One Day At A Time!!!

By Mastin Kipp

One of my favorite things about life is that we all get a chance, once a day, to start over.

The morning comes bearing gifts of renewal, redemption and a chance to start all over again. The fresh dew on the Spring leaves glimmer as the sun is just starting to poke her head out from the horizon and imbue each morning with the promise of revival. Moments like these remind me that life goes on.

And not only does life go on, but this very morning you have a chance to make a new decision about HOW it goes. I know I don't get it perfect; I mess up every day. I try to kick sugar and I fail 20 times a week. But I try and try again. And each day I am closer to my result.

The same thing goes for goals, achieving dreams and the quality of your life. You may not have gotten it perfect in the past, but perfection is never what we can really achieve - only progress. When you stop trying to be perfect and embrace progress OVER perfection - you free yourself to live a life on your terms. We, my friend, are human beings, and by our very nature are not perfect.

But what we can do is welcome the promise of the morning, of each new day that reminds us that we can try again and today get it 1% more right. We can be 1% more on our own side, we can love ourselves 1% more and we can come 1% closer to our dreams.

You and I don't need to get it all done today, because we can't; but we can achieve 1% more than we did yesterday. We can forgive ourselves 1% more than we did yesterday. We can show up for our loved ones more than we did yesterday.

The promise of the morning inspires me every day. Today, I am to do 1% better than I did yesterday. Day-by-day, slowly but surely these small incremental changes will bring about MASSIVE change in our lives. Embrace the promise of renewal each morning, and for today, don't try to be perfect, just be 1% better than you were yesterday.

The Importance Of Telling The Truth In Your Relationships!!!

By Mastin Kipp

There are TWO major things to remember when it comes to relationships:

1. Make sure it works for you before you get into it.

2. As you go along, continue to tell your truth, even if you think it will hurt the other person.

You see, when we ignore the things that make us happy in order to please someone else, we are betraying ourselves and actually the other person. Why is this? Because when we abandon what makes us happy to make someone else happy, we are no longer showing up in the relationship fulfilled. And that is what we owe the other person - our joy and fulfillment. If we only live to make someone else happy, that path leads to resentment, anger and jealously - among other things.

But, when we make sure that our creative, spiritual, physical and sexual needs are being met, we can show up happy and joyful. It's ultimately not the other person's responsibility to make sure you are happy and fulfilled - it's yours.

The other thing is, as you go along and grow along in your relationships, it's vitally important to be able to tell the truth, even if you think it's going to hurt the other person. The temporary pain of the truth far outweighs the long and drawn out subtle pain of living a lie. Also, you make your partner small when you don't tell them the truth. Chances are, they can handle it, and if they can't - that's a major red flag. Remember you are worthy of AWESOME LOVE and AWESOME LOVE goes hand in hand with being able to tell the truth. Living a lie also leads to anger, resentment, jealously and the like.

The bottom line is this - let us never abandon ourselves to please others. Let us remember that relationships are sent to us to grow and learn from and ultimately they are supposed to make us HAPPY!! :o) We can only truly show up and be happy when all our needs are being met, so it is up to us to make sure that's happening and then the other person if off the hook.

Supporting The Evidence For Me....

By Iyanla Vanzant

I will realize my own worth when I accept

. . . what I do says a lot about who

I believe I am.

You have probably heard this statement before. This time, really hear it. Take it into every fiber of your being with the desire to really understand what it means. "Your life is a testimony of who you are." Your response to every experience in your life is a witness to your character. Do you react defensively? In anger? Or, do you respond lovingly? How you treat yourself and others will convict you or exonerate you. Do you care about yourself? Do you provide good, loving care for yourself? How you present yourself to the world is the judge of your character. Are you a hangman? An executioner? Or, are you a caring, compassionate comforter? What you do and how you do it is your jury. Are you biased or balanced? Are you open or judgmental? The conditions and circumstances in which you live are your courtroom. Are you free? Or, are you mentally, emotionally or spiritually imprisoned?

As you review and examine the testimony your life is making to the world, you gather the evidence of who you really believe you are. You are the only one who can testify for you or against you! The evidence you present either builds a case for your worthiness or, against it. What you believe about your own worthiness determines how the evidence is presented. The amount of freedom you experience, as well as the length and degree of your mental, emotional or spiritual imprisonment is determined by the evidence you present. Perhaps it is time to overturn some of your decisions.

Until today, you may not have been aware of how the conditions in your life and how you live your life demonstrate what you believe about yourself. Just for today, review the evidence and bring in a verdict. Are you worthy? Are you not worthy?

Today, I am devoted to supporting the evidence for me and changing the evidence against me that is me.

New Video: J. Cole – "Lost One"

Roc Nation rapper J. Cole has premiered his music video for his latest single titled “Lost Ones”, taken from his chart-topping debut album "Cole World: The Sideline Story". The video was shoot in 2008 way before his Roc Nation deal “With just a Dollar and a Dream, this video was shot in 2008 before I even had a record deal, 3 years later, watching it still gives me the same emotions. This is dedicated to the Lost Ones.” Both the song and visual are very emotional, a tale of a young man dealing with his girlfriend’s pregnancy. Watch the video, which features Antoinette Lenae alongside Cole, below.

New Video: Christina Perri - "A Thousand Years"

Pop/rock songstress Christina Perri has just premiered her music video for her new single titled "A Thousand Years", that is taken off the 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn' movie soundtrack, which is coming out in the U.S. on November 18. The nostalgic video was directed by Jay Martin, which sees the beautiful singer singing to an imagery lover in an empty room. She's stepping from the dark into a room lit with candles. Featuring some footage from the upcoming 'Twilight' film, it sees Robert Pattinson's Edward and Kristen Stewart's Bella during their wedding and honeymoon. Beautiful visual, stunning record.

"It still blows my mind, and I don't think I've fully processed it yet, even though we're on the set of the music video," she said. "I feel like maybe when we're at the premiere and I see it in the movie is when it'll really hit me because it just seems so dream-like. I feel so honored. It feels really epic."-Christina Perri

New Music: Day26 - "Made Love Lately"

Day26 are back after a brief hiatus and have just released their new single titled "Made Love Lately", it's the first official single from the group's upcoming album, "A New Day" due out via Atlantic Records in early 2012 . The song and album represent a shift for the group, who left Bad Boy Records in late 2009 and parted ways with founding member Qwanell "Que" Mosley around the same time. "Made Love Lately" is mid-tempo track written and produced by Jim Beanz, talking about sex.

New Music: Mary J. Blige Feat. Drake -"Mr. Wrong"

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige has just released her followup single to "25/8" titled "Mr. Wrong" featuring The eagerly anticipated ode to “Mr Wrong” features Canadian rapper Drake, taken from her forthcoming album "My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1)" which is due out on November 21st. "Mr. Wrong" is mellow, sorrowful mid-tempo track produced by Jim Jonsin,written by Rico Love. "Me and Mr. Wrong get along so good / Even though it breaks my heart so bad," Mary sings about always attracting the wrong kind of man.

Rico Love shared the inspiration behind the song: "It’s an extremely soulful song that expresses the true level of love that a woman can have for a man who simply is no good for her. I wrote it because in many ways I am Mr. Wrong. It's an extremely soulful song that expresses the true level of love that a woman can have for a man who simply is no good for her. I wrote it because in many ways I am Mr. Wrong."

New Video: Beyonce Feat. J. Cole - "Party"

Grammy-award winning songstress Beyonce has just premiered her music video for her new single "Party" taken from her recently forth album titled "4", which peaked at number one on Billboard 200. While the original track features Outkast rapper Andre 3000, Beyonce has opted to go with the official remix featuring Roc Nation rapper J. Cole. The self directed video features cameos by former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland, sibling Solange, rapper Theophilus London and designer sisters Coco and Breezy. The party footage was captured at a trailer park, with addition to footage from a photo-shoot Beyonce did for her 4 promotional shots. I’m definitely loving the direction she took for the video and it looks as if it will compliment the sensual celebratory nature of the track quite well.

New Music: Lil Mama - "Hustler Girl"

New York rapper Lil Mama has just released her new track titled "Hustler Girl",which she dedicates to all the women who have dealt with adversity. “My verses are speaking from my life and my truth, but at the same time it’s dedicated to all of you,” she said in a recent interview. I like it. It's a nice record, definitely something I can hear on the radio. And she looks stunning on the cover.

New Music: JoiStaRR – “YAY”

Introducing JoiStaRR, a grammy nominated singer-songwriter from L.A. Since coming on the music scene a couple of years ago she has sang with and written tracks for artist like Raphael Saadiq,PJ Morton,Ghostface,Kanye West, Christina Milian, Estelle and Kid Sister, Musiq Soulchild,T.I.,Chris Brown, Mary Mary,Mario, Brandy and more. Here is her latest track titled "YAY", that she released as part of Magic Monday. “YAY" is a laid back R&B song about love, that showcases JoiStaRR’s amazing songwriting over a smooth production, which samples A Tribe Called Quest‘s classic “Bonita Applebum”.

New Video: Katy B - "Movement"

British songstress Katy B has recently premiered her music video for her new single titled "Movement", which is the sixth single from her debut album "On A Mission", which was nominated for the 2011 Mercury Prize earlier this year and peaked at number two on the chart. The video was shot in Ibiza – it looks great, and she looks fantastic, we see her sunbathing by a pool and clubbing with friends in the video. The singer is currently on her UK tour, and plays the first of two nights at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Fashion Bish: Naomi Campbell Covers Soon International #16

British supermodel Naomi Campbell covers the 16th issue of "Soon International" magazine , which was photographed lusciously by Seb Janiak. Naomi’s storied exquisite look has dazzled audiences for decades yet she manages to continually reinvent herself with photo-shoots that push the envelope. This shoot continues that tradition with a fashion-forward look that shows the supermodel bald and covered in a plastic-like sheen.